Automatic gas lock



Jan.

F. GREENE 1,788,290

AUTOMATIC GAS LOCK Filed March 8, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l fiederz'ek'reeflgmmm w m 91W ATTORNEY Jan. 6, 1931. F. GREENE 1,788,290

AUTOMATIC GAS LOCK Filed March 8, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 D INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 6, 1931. F. GREENE 1,788,290

AUTOMATIC GAS LOCK Filed March 8, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheec 3 NVENTOR 14 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 6, 1931 PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK GREENE, OF NEW EAGLE, PENNSYLVANIA AUTOMATIC GAS LOOK Application filed March 8, 1929. Serial No. 345,401.

This invention relates to gas controlling means, the general object of the invention being to provide means for automatically closing the passage of the gas from the supply to the burners if the pressure should drop to a point where the flames at the burners would go out, thus preventing the escape of the gas from the burners when the pressure comes on again so that there is no danger of the gas escaping into the room and thus asphyxiating occupants of the room or causing explosions.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for giving a constant flow or pressure of gas at the burners even though the gas pressure in the supply pipes should fluctuate.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention,

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on. line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Figure 3.

b Figure 7 is a View of the regulating mem- In these views, the numeral 1 indicates a casing which is formed with the central vertically arranged cylinder 2, the vertically arranged inlet passage 3 and the discharge passage 4 which is also vertically arranged. Ports 5 and 6 are arranged in the walls of the cylinder 2, the port 5 connecting the lower part of the cylinder with the chamber 3 and the port 6 connecting the lower part of the cylinder 2 with the lower end of the passage 4. A hollow piston 7 is movably arranged in the cylinder 2 and has its lower end open and this piston, when in lowered position, will close the ports 5 and 6 and thus prevent the flow of gas from the chamber 3 to the passage 4, but when the piston is in raised position, these ports are uncovered so that gas can pass from the chamber 3 to the passage 4.

A tubular part 8 extends upwardly from the bottom of the cylinder and is spaced from the walls thereof and said tubular part is connected by a port 9 with a transversely arranged passage 10 in the lower part of the device, the outer end of which is closed by a plug 11, and the inner end of which communicates with the inner end of the chamber 3. A cook 12 is placed in the inner portion of the passage 10 and is normally held closed by a spring 13, the cock being provided with a handle 14 by which it may be moved and held in open position, but as soon as the handle is released, the spring will move the cock to closed position again.

The upper part of the chamber 3 is connected to a supply main by a pipe 15 which contains a valve 16 and the passage 4 is connected with the burners by a pipe 17 which contains a valve 18. A port 19 connects the upper end of the chamber 3 with the cylinder 2'and a plug-like member 20 is slidably arranged in the port and has a head 21 thereon which is arranged in the chamber 3 opposite the inlet so that this head will be acted on by the gas flowing into the chamber 3, which will cause the member 20 to press against the piston 7 and thus hold the piston in raised position.

A stem 22 is rotatably arranged in a plug 23 which closes the upper end of the chamber 3 and said stem has a hand wheel 24 thereon by which it may be turned. An arm 25 is formed on the lower end of the stem and has a slot therein to receive a pin 26 carried by a projection 27 on the head 21. Thus by tuming the stem, the member 20 can be pulled outwardly so as to release the piston. A spring 28, connected with the stem, normally holds the stem in a. position where the gas 100 will force the member 20 inwardly against the piston.

A rod 29 passes through a plug 30 which closes the lower end of the bore 9 which intersects the passage 10 and a spring 31 on the rod normally holds the same in lowered position. A pin 32 on the rod, adjacent its handle 33, may be placed in engagement with the projections 34 on the plug 30 to hold the rod in raised position. This rod is used to move the piston to its upper position if the gas pressure is not sufficient to so raise the piston.

A plug 35 closes the upper end of the cylinder 2 and an eye bolt 36 is fastened to the top of the piston, so that by removing the plug and inserting a suitable tool into the eye bolt. the piston can be raised or removed from the cylinder. A assage 37 connects the upper end of the cylinder with the passage 4 and a valve 38 is arranged in the upper end of the passage. This passage permits the gas or air in the cylinder to escape into the passage 4 while the piston is being raised. The valve acts to prevent gas from passing from the passage 4 into the cylinder.

The cylinder-like valve 39 is slidably arranged in the passage 4 and is formed with the V-shaped openings 40 in its sides. The top of this member 39 has an eye bolt 41 therein and a plug 42 closes the top of the passage so that by removing this plug and inserting a tool in the passage and hooking one end of the tool in the eye bolt, the member 39 can be raised or withdrawn from the passage. A rod 43 passes through the packing means 44 carried by the plug 42 and has an enlargement 45 on its inner end and a handle 46 on its outer end. Thus the rod can be adjusted in the plug, the packing means acting as friction means for holding the rod in adjusted position, and the lower end of the rod acts as a stop for limiting the upward movement of the member 39. Drain holes 47, for the passage 6 and the chamber 3, are formed in the lower .art of the casing and these holes are closed by the plugs 48.

With the parts in the Figure 3, to start the flow ers, it is simply necessary to open the valve 12, which will permit the gas to pass from the chamber 3 and through the passage 10 and bore 9 into the tubular member 8, where the gas will act on the inner face of the top of the cylinder and thus raise the cylinder until it uncovers the passages 5 and 6. when the valve 12 can be closed, by simply removing the hand therefrom an permitting the spring 13 to close the same. The pressure of the gas against the piston and against the head of the member 20 will hold the piston in raised position and then the gas will pass through the passages 5 and 6 and act against the member 39 to raise the same to permit the gas to pass through the openings 39 into position shown in of gas to the burnthe discharge 17 and thus to the burners. Due to the peculiar shape of the openings in the member 39, if the pressure of gas should fluctuate, the member will be raised and lowered and thus different portions of the V- shaped openings come opposite the outlet so that the pressure of gas at the burners will be uniform. For instance, if the pressure of gas entering the chamber 6 is low, the member 39 is but partly raised so that the large upper ends of the ports 40 will he opposite the discharge pipe 17 and considerable gas will pass into the discharge. If the pressure is high, however, the member 39 will be raised to a greater extent so that the smaller portions of the ports 40 will be in communication with the discharge pipe 17 and thus the escape of gas will not be as free as it was in the first instance, though due to the greater pressure, the amount of gas passing into the pipe 17 will be practically the same as in the first instance. As before stated, the rod 43 can be adjusted to regulate the limit of movement of the member 39. If the pressure of gas should lessen, the piston 7 will drop and thus close the passages 5 and 6 so that when the pressure increases, no gas can flow to the burners so that there is no danger of the escaping gas asphyxiating the occupants of a room in which the burners are 10- cated, or causing an explosion. It will thus be necessary to again open the valve 12 before the flow of gas can be admitted to the burners and if the pressure is not sufiicient to raise the piston 7, said piston can be raised by pushing up the rod 29 and said piston can be held in raised position, if necessar by placing the pin 32 in engagement with the projections 34. Whenever necessary, the member 20 can be moved outwardly away from the piston by the rod 22.

I also provide means for shutting oil the flow of gas to the burners at any predetermined time, such means comprising an alarm clock 49 seated on a support 50 which is attached to the casing 1, the alarm mechanism of the clock acting on a rod-51 which is attached to a gate valve 52 placed in'the inlet port- 'of the casing, a spring 53 tending to hold the parts in a position with the gate closed. Thus by raising the rod and the gate valve and attaching the rod to a part of the alarm mechanism, the gate. valve will be closed when the alarm mechanism, goesotl' so that one can set the device to supply gas to the l'mrnersfor a predetermined time and then the flow of gas will be shut ofi' by the clock. This is desirable for cooking, where the cook wishes to leave the house and .will not be around when it is time, to closethe burners. It is also desirable to stop the flow of gas to the burners when the cooking process is to cease at a certain time.

, It is thought from the foregoing descrip- Ill) tion that the advantages and novel features of-the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. A device of the class described comprising a casing having a main gas passage therein, a cylinder intersecting the main passage and a supplemental passage in the casing connecting the inlet part of the main passage with the lower part of the cylinder, a iston in the cylinder which, when in lowere position, closes the main passage, a hand operated valve, in the su plemental passage which. when opened, wilFpermit the gas from the inlet part of the main passage to act on the piston to raise the same and thus open the main passage and means operated by the pressure of gas in the inlet part of the main passage for holding the piston in raised position.

2. A device of the class described comprising a casing having a main gas passage therein, a cylinder intersecting the main passage and a supplemental passage in the casing connecting the inlet part of the main passage with the lower part of the cylinder, a piston in the cylinder which, when in lowered position, closes the main passage, a hand operated valve in the supplemental passage which, when opened, will permit the gas from the inlet part of the main passage to act on the piston to raise the same and thus open the main passage, means operated by the pressure of gas in the inlet part of the main passage for holding the piston in raised position and a member in the outlet part of the -main passage moved by the pressure of gas in said part of the main passage, said memher having V-shaped openings therein through which the gas passes when said member is raised to the discharge.

3. A device of the class described comprising a casing having a main gas passage therein, a cylinder intersecting the main passage and a supplemental passage in the easing connecting the inlet partof the main passage with the lower part of the cylinder, a piston in the cylinder which, when in lowered position, closes the main passage, a hand operated valve in the supplemental passage which, when opened, will permit the gas from the-inlet part of the main passage to act on the piston to raise the same and thus 0 en the main passage, means operated by t e pressure of gas in the inlet part of the main passage for holding the piston in raised position, a member in the outlet part of the main passage moved by the pressure of gas in said part of the main passage, said member having V-shaped openings therein through which the gas passes when said member is raised to the discharge and means for regulatin the limit of upward movement of said mem er.

4. A device of the class described compris ing a casing having a main gas passage therein, a cylinder intersecting the main passage and a supplemental passa e in the casing connecting the inlet part ot the main passage with the lower part of the cylinder, a iston in the cylinder which, when in lowere position, closes the main passage, a hand operated valve in the supplemental passage which, when opened, will permit the gas from the inlet part of the main passage to act on the piston to raise the same and thus open the main passage, means operated by the pressure of gas in the inlet part of the main passage for holding the piston in raised position and means for raising the piston by hand when necessary.

5. A device of the class described comprising a casing having a main gas passage therein, a cylinder intersecting the main passage and a supplemental passage in the casing connecting the inlet part of the main passage with the lower part of the cylinder, a piston in the cylinder which, when in lowered position, closes the main passage, a hand operated valve in the supplemental passage which, when opened, will permit the gas from the inlet part of the main passage to act on the piston to raise the same and thus open the main passage, means operated by the pressure of gas in the inlet part of the main passage for holding the piston in raised position, means for raising the piston by hand when necessary and manually operated means for moving the piston engaging member out of engagement with the piston.

6. A device of the class described comprising a casing having a main gas passage therein, a cylinder intersecting the main passage and a supplemental passage in the casing connecting the inlet part of the main passage with the lower part of the cylinder, a piston in the cylinder which, when in lowered position, closes the main passage, a hand operated valve in the supplemental passage which, when opened, will permit the gas from the inlet part of the main passage to act on the piston to raise the same and thus openthe main passage, means operated by the pressure of gas in the inlet part of the main passage for holding the piston in raised position, means for raising the piston by hand when necessary, manually operated means for moving the piston engaging member out of engagement with the piston and spring means for normally holding said manually operated means and the valve in the supplemental passage in closed position.

7. A device of the class described comprising a casing having a main gas passage therein, a cylinder intersecting the main passage and a supplemental passage in the casing connecting the inlet part of the main passage with the lower part of the cylinder, a piston in the cylinder which, when in lowered position, closes the main passage, a hand operated valve in the supplemental passage which when opened, will permit the gas from the inlet part of the main passage to act on the piston to raise the same and thus open the main passage, means operated by the pressure of gas in the inlet part of the main passage for holding the piston in raised position, means for raising the piston by hand when necessary, manually operated means for moving the piston engaging member out of engagement with the piston, spring means for normally holding said manually operated means and the valve in the supplemental passage in closed position, a valve for controlling the flow of gas into the device and means for automatically closing said valve after a predetermined period of time.

I11 testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FREDERICK GREENE. 

